Vehicle-spring.



P. DENMAN.

VEHICLE SPRING. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 9, 191'0.

1,022,775. Patented Apr.9,1912.

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VEHICLE SPRING. APPLIOILTION FILED SEPT. 9, 1910.

1,022,775. 7 Patented Apr. 9, 1912 I 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED STATES 1 FREDERICK DENMAN, OF HIGHLAND PARK, ILLINOIS.

VEHICLE-SPRING.

Specification of Iltters Patent.

" Patented'Apr. 9, 1912.

Application filed September 9, 1910; Serial 110. 581,297.

To all whom it may concern:

Be 1t known that I FREDERICK DENMAN'. 7

.a citizen of the United States, and residentof Highland Park, county ofLake, and- State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements 1 in Vehicle- Springs, of which the following is aspecification, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings,forming a part thereof.

The inventionrela-tes to cushioning devices adapted to be interposedbetween relatively movable parts, as for example, between the body andrunning gear of a tehicle.

It is well known that a spring, if flexible enough to cushion smallamounts of relative m ovementbetween the parts which it connects,becomes flexed to a position in which it acts as a: substantially rigidconnection upon greater relative movement between the parts. This isobjectionable in vehicle springs and the like for a spring adapted tocushion the vibration of the running gear in passing over the ordinaryunevenness of a roadway will be quickly flexed so far as to serve as arigid connection between the running gear and vehicle body when anunusual obstruction or de pression is encountered in the roadway, andascvere jolting of the body results.

The object of the invention is to provide cushioning means for vehiclesand the like which shall serve to effectually cushion both the smallvibrations of the running gear and the severe jolts 6f the same.

To this end the invention contemplates the use of-a spring forcushioning the small or ordinary vibrations of a part, as the runninggear of a vehicle," and means for causing saidspring to moveindependently of aconnected part, as the body of a vehicle, when it hasbecome so far flexed under a more severe vibration as to besubstantially rigid, such movement being cushioned by a supplementalspring.

In the accompanying drawings ;Figure 1 shows in side elevation detailsof a spring supported vehicle equipped with appliances provided bytheinvention, some of theparts being broken away; Fig. 2'is similar to'Fig.

-1 but shows a slightly modified arrangement of the parts; Figs 3 is'aperspective view illustrating another arrangement of parts provided bythe invention; Fig. 4: is a detail; plan view of. the parts illustratedin Fig.3; and Figs. 5 and 6 are detail side views showing still furthermodifications.

Portions of the body of a vehicle are shown at 10 in Figs. 1 and 2 ofthe drawings. One of the side sills of the body 10 is designated 11. Therunning gear ofthe vehicle includesa wheel 12, and an axle 13, upon theend. of'which the wheel '12 is mounted.

In carrying out the invention a spring 14, sufficiently flexible tocushion the small or usual vibrations of the running gear is employed.As shown this spring is of; 'well known semtelliptic form and hears uponthe axle 13 of the running gear intermediate its ends. One end 15 of theleaf spring 14 is pivotally connected to the side sill 11 of the,vehicle. This connection may be either by means of a fixed pivot stud16, shown in Fig. 2 ofthe drawings, or it may be such as will permit asmall amount of longitudinal movement of the spring as by the use of ashort link 17, shown in Figsl, 3 and '1. Preferablythe other end 18 ofthe leaf spring'lt is attached to a lever 19. When the end 15 of theleaf spring 14 is connected to the sidesill 11 by a link 17, the end 18of the spring may be secured to the lever 19 'in a manner which will notpermit longitudinal play, as'by means of the pivot bolt 20, shown in,each of Figs. 1, 3 and 4.

\Vhen, however, the end 15 of th leaf spring 1 1 is connected tothe sill11 by a fixed pivot, as at 16, Fig. 2, the end 18 of the spring ispreferably connected to the lever 19 in a manner which will permitlongitudinal play between the end of the spring and the lever, as bymeans of .astud 21, shownin Figs. 2and 6, having sliding connection withthe lever, or by means of the link 22, shown in Fig. 5.

a The lever 19 is pivotally mounted upon the side sill 11 of the vehiclebody. As

shown a bracket plate 23 is applied to the.

side sill by bolts 24 and carries a pivot stud 25 for receiving thelever. The turning of f the lever 19 upon its pivot 25 is. resisted by aspring 26. Preferably the spring 26 is quite rigid and is so appliedasjto have suflicient power to practically hold the level 19 in fixedposition under ordinary vibration of the running gear and flexing of thespring 14. As shown, the leverl9is made in the 'form of a bell crank andhas arms 27, 28 of unequal length. The'spring 26 isv applied to thebellcrank adjacent the end of 10 ofthe vehicle than will be effectuallycushioned by the spring 14. As shown, a lever 29 is pivotally mountedupon the body of the vehicle, as upon a stud 30 carried by the bracketplate 23. One end of the lever 29 is connected to the ,bell crank lever19. The other end of the lever 29 is connected to the running gear ofthe vehicle in such a way as to be moved thereby when there is anunusual amount of relative vertical movement between the body andrunning gear, as when the wheel 12 strikes an obstruction or passes intoa depression in the roadway. To provide for. relative movement betweenthe lever 29v and the lever 19 incident to their being mounted upondifferent pivots the connection between the levers may be by means oflink 31, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or the levers may have a pin and slotconnection 32, 33 shown in each of Figs. 3, a, 5 and 6. For connectionwith the running gear of the vehicle the lever 29 preferably extendsover the axle 13 and a post, designated by the numeral-34= in Figs. 1-and 2 of the drawings, or a post. designated by the numeral 35 in Figs.3 and 4: of the drawings, is applied to the leaf spring 14 immediatelyover the axle 13 to engage the lever and turn it on its pivot. *As'shownin Figs. 1 and 2, the end of the lever 29 is connected to the post'34 by a link 36, and in Figs 3 and 4 of the drawings the higher end ofthe post 35 is forked and receives the end of the lever between thearmsOf the fork. A stud 37 preferably connects the arms of the forkedend of the post 35 above the lever 29. For preventing rattle the stud 37most desirably is covered with" a nonmetallic substance, as by beinginclosed within a sleeve 38 of fiber board bet-ween the ends of forkedmembers of the post 35. Whether the connection of the lever 29 with therunning gear be through the post 34.- shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or thepost 35 shown in Figs. 3 and 1, provision is preferably made for playbetween the post and the end of the lever in order that the lever willonly be turned upon vertical movement of the running gear occasioned byencountering unusual obstructions or depressions in the roadway. Asshown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the link 36 has a pin and slotconnection 39, 40 with the post 34, and in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawingsthe forked end of the post 35 below the stud 37 is longer than the widthof the lever 29.

With the arrangement described the leaf spring 14 will cushion theordinary vibrations of the running gear in the usual way.

When, however, the axle 13 and body 10 ap proach each other to anunusual extent the lever 29 will be turned by reason of its connectionwith the post 34, or 35. The relative upward movement of the runninggear will now be cushioned by the spring 26, and the spring 14:, turningupon the stud.16, or link 17, as a pivot, is swung upwardly with therunning gear. small vibrations and the usual jolts of the running gearare effectually cushioned and their transmission to the body prevented.

While the arfns of the lever 29 are preferably of unequal length, thearm connected In this way both the.

to the bell crarik lever 19 being the shorter,

the pivot 30 of the lever 29 is most desirably located in rear of thepivot 25 of the bell crank lever 19 in order that the distance from thepivot 30 to the point of connection between the levers may be greaterthan the distance from the pivot 25 to this point of connection. Bymeansof this arrangement considerable movement may be imparted to the bellcrank lever 19 by a slight turning of the lever 29.

If desired, provision may be made for ad justing the tension of thespring 26. As shown, one end of the spring 26 is attached to a clevis 11and this clevis is pivotally at tached to-the bracket plate 23 at 42.The

tension of the springmay be adjusted by be used in connection with eachof the other arrangements shown and described.

I claim as my invention: v

1. In combination with a vehicle body and running gear, a leaf-springpivotally engaging the body at one end and bearing on the running gearintermediate its ends, a lever pivoted to the body intermediate its endsand adapted to be engaged at one end by the running gear upon relativeupward movement of the latter, a second lever pivoted to the bodyintermediate its-ends and connected at one end to the free end of theleaf spring, connection between the other end of said second lever andthat end of the first named lever beyond its pivot from the point whereit is adapted to be engaged by the running gear, and a second sprin .reacting between the last named end 0 the second lever and the vehiclebody. a

2. In combination with a vehicle body and running gear, a leaf springpivotally engaging the body at one end and bearing on the running gearintermediate its ends, two levers independently pivoted to the body, oneof'said levers being adapted to be engaged by the running gear uponrelative upward movement of the latter, and the other lever beingconnected to the other end of the leaf spring, connection between thelevers, the pivot of the lever adapted to be engaged by the running gearbeing more remote from the said connection between the levers than thedistance between the pivot.

of the otherlever and said connection, and a second spring reactingbetween one of the levers and the vehicle'bo-dy.

3. In combination with a vehicle body and running gear, a leat springpivotally engaging the body at one end and bearing on the running gearintermediate its ends, two levers independently pivoted to the body, oneof said levers being adapted to be engaged by the running gear uponrelative upward movement of the latter, and the other lever beingconnected .to the other end of the'leaf spring, connection between thelevers, the pivot of the lever adapted to be engaged by the running gearbeing more remote. from the said connection between the levers than thedistance bet-wen the pivot of the other lever and said connection, and

a second spring reacting between the lastbody and runnlng gear in excessof a predetermined amount, a leaf spring having pivotal engagement atone end with thejbody and bearing on the running gear intermediate itsends, connection between the other end of the leaf spring and the leverwhere by the spring is turned about its said pivotal engagement with thebody by the said turning of the lever and a second spring resisting thesaid turning of the lever.

5. In combination with a vehicle body and running gear, a leverfulcrumed on the body, a spring reacting between the running gear andthe lever whereby relative movement of the body and running gear tendsto turn the lever on its fulcrum, a second spring reacting between thelever and the body and re sisting the said turning of the lever, andmeans'acting upon relative movement beof a predetermined amount forpositively turning the lever on its fulcrum against the effort of thesaid second spring.

6. In combination with a vehicle body tween the body and running gear inexcess and running gear, a member movably mounted on the body, a springreacting between the said movable member and the running gear wherebyrelative movement be tween the running gearand body tends to move suchmember on the body, a second spring reacting between the said movablemember and the body and resisting the said movement of the member andmeans acting 'upon relative movement between the body and runninggear-in excess of a predeter mined amount for positively moving saidmember against the effort of said second spring whereby the said' secondspring is positively brought into play when the first mentioned springhas been flexed a predetermined amount.

FREDERICK DENMAN.

Witnesses:

E. M. KLATCHER, LOUIS K. GILLSON.

